Mechanical calendar



Oct 4, 1949. 1 KLARls 2,483,775

MECHANICAL CALENDAR Fil8d April 19, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l 517 4 INVENTOR. kl /fifzfdrza;

ATTDRN EYE Oct. 4, 1949. P. A. KLARIS I 3,775

MECHANICAL CALENDAR Filed.April 19, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 1P0 J91 1191- 63 INVENTOR.

11 Plei'r/fiff/arza;

ATI'D RN EYS Patented Oct. 4, 1949 2,483,775 MECHANICAL CALENDAR Pieter A. Klaris, Rotterdam, Netherlands, as-

signor to Lodewyk den Hartog Application April 19, 1947, Serial No. 742,755 In the Netherlands February 27, 1947 5 Claims.

This invention relatesv to mechanical calendars incorporated into or attached to clocks and provided with a disc indicating the months, one indicating the dates or days of the month and one indicating the days of the. week.

Various embodiments of a clock having a mechanical calendar are already known. These known clocks are very complicated and difficult to make and to repair, have large dimensions and are expensive.

These disadvantages are avoided by the clock or the alarm having a mechanical calendar, or a separate unit for a suchlike clock, by the fact that a cam is secured upon. a bushing for the hour-hand which bushing is rotatable in a disc. At each revolution this cam actuates a system of rods which suddenly moves the disc indicating the days one step. The disc indicating the days is provided with teeth or lugs which suddenly move the disc indicating the dates one step after each revolution or after every two revolutions by means of a pawl or a system of rods. This disc indicating the dates carries an abutment which also suddenly actuates the disc indicating the months after efiecting a revolution or a certain portion of a revolution. The disc indicating the months is provided with abutments which are disposed at various distances from the centre of the disc in accordance with the number of days of the months.

The clock or the separate unit according to the invention has very small dimensions, so that in a sturdy construction it can easily be positioned in a space having the dimension of the face of a normal clock or a normal alarm and having a depth of about a centimetre. The portion containing the elements of the mechanical calendar may be made independently of the clock, after which the clock may be secured thereto. Existing clocks may consequently be converted into a clock according to the invention in an easy way. Consequently the clock may be repaired wholly independently of the mechanical calendar. Furthermore it is thereby particularly suitable to be made in mass production, In adi.

dition, the advantage is obtained that the days, dates and months are changed over within a few seconds and that the exact date can be adjusted in a very simple way.

According to the invention the disc indicating the days may be divided into fourteen sectors of which two adjacent sectors indicate the same day, preferably in two difierent colours. The disc indicating the days includes fourteen pins co-operating with the system of levers actuated by the cam on the bushing for the hourhand. By marking the sectors of each pair indicating each day in two different colours these colours may indicate whether it is before or after noon.

A preferred embodiment of the clock or of the separate unit for this clock according to the invention is characterized in that. the system of levers for the actuation of the disc indicating the days comprises a bell cranklever provided with a return spring one leg of which lever cooperates with the cam on the bushing for the hour-hand and to the other leg of which a resilient pawl is pivoted in such a way that when the cam releases the lever from its extreme position the pawl rotates the disc indicating the days through a predetermined angle.

According to the invention the disc indicating the days may be constructed in such a way that it includes seven cams, pins or suchlike lugs which co-operate with the end of a pivoted lever provided with a return spring, which end is formed as a pawl. 'A resilient pawl is pivoted to this lever, which pawl co-operates with pawl teeth or other lugs of the disc indicating the dates and in operation rotates this disc further through a predetermined angle.

A preferred embodiment of the clock or the separate unit according to the invention is characterized in that the disc indicating the dates is provided with thirty-two sectors, one of which is blank and theother sectors of which are provided with the number 1-31. This disc has a same number of pawl teeth or lugs co-operating with the pawl actuated by the disc indicating the days. Together with this disc a stepped cam is pivoted, and a casing is secured thereon in which there is a spring which is stretched on rotation of the disc and which is prevented by a rotatable pawl from being released until this pawl, after the, abutting of the stepped cam against one of the pins or lugs of the disc indicating the months, is released and locked, after which the disc indicating the days is returned into its initial position by the stretched spring, during which return the disc indicating the months is rotated one twelfth of a revolution by an abutment mounted upon the disc indicating the dates. It is clear that this disc indicating the dates may also comprise double the number of sectors, so that the same figure or number occurs twice on the disc in two adjacent sectors. or the separate unit is even simpler, since the In this case the construction of the clock disc indicating the days can directly drive the disc indicating the dates.

According to the invention the clock may be made in such a way that the stepped cam comprises a pin passing through a slot of the disc indicating the dates, which pin serves to lift the pawl out of the pins or lugs co-operating with the pivoted pawl.

The locking member of the resilient pawl may consist according to the invention of a resilient counter-pawl which is released by a pin disposed on a fixed support when it is rotated backwardly.

A preferred embodiment of the clock or the separate unit is characterized in that the disc indicating the dates is provided with a pin or lug which actuates a system of levers provided with a pawl in such a way when rotating back the disc, that the disc indicating the months is rotated one twelfth part of a revolution.

According to the invention the separate unit may have a bushing in which the bushing for the hour-hand of any arbitrary clock may be fixed, and the hour-hand may be secured upon this bushing, whereas through this bushing and/or the spindle on which the minute-hand and/or the second-hand is or are secured passes or pass.

The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawing in which by way of a non-limiting example an embodiment of a clock according to the invention is shown.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the clock.

Figure 2 shows on an enlarged scale a front view of the calendar mechanism with the hands and face of the clock removed.

Figure 3 also shows on an enlarged scale a cross section through the clock taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detail looking toward the rear surface of the disk on which the days of the week are provided.

Figure 5 is a view looking toward the rear surface of the intermediate disk on which the days of the month are provided, with part shown in section.

Figure 6 is a view looking toward the rear of the disk on which the names of the months are provided.

Figure 7 is a detail looking toward the front of the clock illustrating the cam for actuating the disk containing the names of the months with parts broken away.

Figure 8 is a detail showing the latch that holds the disc which indicates the days of the month, in the releasing position.

Figure 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Figure '7 showing the latch or pawl.

Figure 10 is a detail showing the upper end of the lever engaging the cam on the hour hand shaft of the clock.

Figure 11 is a detail illustrating a portion of the disk on which the days of the month are shown showing a blank space between the first and last numbers.

In the drawing which shows a unit suitable for attachment to a clock mechanism, three rotatable discs A, B and C are supported on a plate 26; disc A indicates the days of the week, B the dates or days of the months and C the names of the months. The front of the disc A is divided into fourteen sectors on which the days of the week each appear twice in adjacent sectors. The disc B indicating the dates has, in the embodiment shown, thirty-two sectors on which the numbers 1-31 are mentioned, sector one bein left blank. The disc C indicating the months has 4 twelve sectors on which the months are shown. in sequence.

The whole calendar mechanism is located behind a face 3| which is provided with three openings, opening 32 for the day, opening 33 the date and opening 34 the month respectively as shown in Figure 1.

A snail cam 2 is fixedly secured upon a bushing I which carries the hour hand of the clock. This cam 2 engages the end of a bell crank lever 3 pivotally mounted on a pin 35 whereby the arm 4 of the lever 3 is rocked together with a pivoted pawl 5 held by a spring 36. The lever 3 is spring loaded by spring 25 which maintains the bell crank against the cam 2. The cam 2 is disposed in such a way that each time the hour hand points to twelve the lever 3 drops off of the step in the cam and the spring 25 actuates the lever 3- Thereby the pawl 5 engages one of the pins 6 disposed at the back of the disc A whereby this disc is rotated one step. Thus at twelve oclock midnight the disc A is rotated a step, whereby the name of the following day becomes visible through the opening 32 in the face of the clock. This name is printed in black, for example, which indicates that it is before noon; at 12 oclock midday the disc A is moved a further step to display the next sector on which the day is printed in red to indicate that it is afternoon.

The disc A carries seven cams 1. One of these cams I actuates at each second step of the disc A a pawl 9. resiliently held by a spring 31, and carried at the lower end of an arm 8, pivotally mounted on a pin 38, and provided with a return spring 39. This pawl .9 carries a pin that engages pawl teeth ID, of which thirty-two are disposed circumferentially on the disc B. Hereby the disc B is rotated through a thirty-second part of a full revolution, to expose a new date at each movement through the window 33 in the face.

When the disc B is rotated, a cylinder 1 I which is secured fixedly to the disc is also rotated, so that a spring [2 located therein is wound up (Figure 5) one end being secured to a stationary part of the device at the point 4|, and the other to the cylinder H at the point 42. To the disc B a pawl I3 is pivoted on a pin 43, which cooperates with pins l4 fixedly secured to the plate 26 and prevents the spring [2 from releas ing. When the disc B has rotated through twenty-eight (twenty-nine) thirty or thirtyone steps, a stepwise constructed cam l5 which is secured to the ring l5 and rotates with the disc B knocks against one of twelve pins 16 on the disc C indicating the months. The twelve pins I6 correspond with the number of months and are secured to this disc C and according to the number of days of the month, i. e. 28, (29), 30 or 31, are at various distances from the axis of rotation of the disc C. When the cam l5 comes into contact with one of the pins IS, the disc B continues to rotate, nevertheless, as long as the pawl 9 advances a tooth H]. The cam I5 is pivotally mounted by a pin 10 through the ring l5 and the cam carries a pin H which extends through a slot in the disc B, and presses against an extension of the pawl l3, until it is lifted out of the teeth I4 and is locked by a resilient counter-pawl I8, as shown in Figure 8. The pawls l3 and [8 are resiliently held by a spring that is mounted on the disc B by a pin 46.

The ring I5 is resiliently held by a spring H so that the pin I1 is retained in the leading end of the slot 12 through the disk B.

As soon as the subsequent tooth I0 is released by the pawl 9, the wound spring I2 rotates the disc B back through the whole angle through which it was rotated forward, until the counterpawl I 8 abuts against a pin 24 disposed on the plate 26, whereby the counter-pawl l8 releases the pawl l3 again and this comes into contact again with one of the pins l4. At the same time a pin l9 secured on the disc B has moved the arm 20 of a bell crank lever 2| which is pivotally mounted on the plate 25 by a pin 41, against the action of a return spring 48. Thereby the lever 2| takes along a pawl 22 pivoted thereto by a pin and resiliently held-by a spring 50, which rotates disc C by means of one of the twelve teeth 23 disposed circumferentially on the disc by a pin 49', through a twelfth portion of a revolution, so that a new month appears in the window 34 of the face.

According as the cam l and the pin l6 corresponding with the month of February are disposed the clock will change over the mechanism after 28 or 29 days. In the former case the calendar need only be adjusted once in four years, and in the latter case three times in four years.

For the adjustment of the disc A indicating the days, the disc B indicating the dates and the disc C indicating the months the knobs 21, 5| and 52 are provided which actuate switching mechanisms 28, 29, as influenced by return springs 53 for the device 28, and 54 for the device 29, and these mechanisms co-operating with the pins 6 and the teeth I0 and 23. By this means each disc may be set or adjusted independently. The bar 28 may he slid upward by the knob 21 so that a tooth 56 thereon will engage one of the pins 6 on the back of the disc A, the arm 29 may be actuated by the knob 5| so that a pawl 51 thereon will engage the teeth l0, and the knob 52 may be moved downward in the slot 58 to engage the teeth 23 with the spring 30.

The clock calendar may be set at the beginning of the year with the numeral 1 in the window 33, the correct day of the week in the window 32, and the word January in the window 34, and after the disc B has been actuated thirty-one steps the step 60 of the cam i5 will engage one of the pins [6 of the disc C which will be held stationary by the pawl 22, wherein the cam l5 will turn about its pivot and actuate the pawl l3 which will release the disc B so that the spring I2 may return the disc to the starting position. For a thirty day month the step SI of the cam I5 engages one of the pins l6, and for a twenty-eight or twenty-nine day month the end 62 of the cam engages the pin. With the pins arranged in the proper positions the disc B will be tripped so that it will be returned after the correct number of days for each month, and as it returns the counter-pawl l8 strikes the projection 24 and releases the pawl 13. Also in the return movement, a pin IS on the disc B engages the arm 20 and sets the disc C ahead to the next month.

The plate 26 may be mounted on the face of a clock as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and the disc B is provided with a hub 63 by which it is rotatably mounted on the tubular clock shaft. The disc A is rotatably mounted on the plate 26 through a bearing 64, and the disc C is mounted thereon through a bearing 85.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment but that the details thereof may be varied in several ways without leaving the scope of the invention.

I claim:

an hour hand mounted on a shaft, a mounting plate having a centrally disposed opening to receive the said hour hand shaft,.a plurality of discs having teeth on the peripheries positioned on said plate with a large disc in the center and a small disc at each side, means rotatably mounting the discs on the mounting plate, a cam mounted on the hour hand shaft, means rotating one of the small discs by the cam eachtime the hour hand makes onecomplete revolution, means actuated by the teeth on the periphery of the small disc for engaging the teeth of the large disc to advance the large disc one step each time the small disc advances two steps, resilient means returning said large disc to a starting position after it has traveled through a predetermined number of steps, and means actuated by the return movement of the large disc for advancing the other small disc one step.

2. A mechanical calendar for a clock having minute and hour hands with the hour hand mounted on a bushing, a mounting plate adapted to be positioned on the face of the clock with the hour hand bushing extending through a centrally disposed opening therein, a plurality of discs rotatably mounted on said mounting plate with a large disc in the center and a small disc at each side, a cam mounted on the said hour hand bushing, a bell-crank pivotally mounted on the plate with one arm engaging the surface of the cam, a pawl carried by the bell-crank adapted to actuate one of the small discs one step each time the hour hand makes a complete revolution, means rotating the large disc by the small disc actuated by the bell-crank, a latch holding the large disc, means releasing the latch after the large disc has rotated a predetermined distance, means returning the large disc to the starting position when the latch is released, and means actuating the other small disc by the large disc in the return movement thereof.

3. A mechanical calendar for a clock having an hour hand mounted on a shaft, a mounting plate having a centrally disposed opening to receive the said hour hand shaft, a plurality of discs having teeth on the peripheries positioned on said plate including a large disc in the center and a small disc at each side of the large disc, means rotatably mounting the discs on the mounting plate, a cam mounted on the hour hand shaft, a bell-crank pivotally mounted on the plate having two arms with one arm in engagement with the surface of the cam, a pawl carried by the other arm of the bell-crank adapted to engage a projection on one of the small discs to actuate said small disc one step each time the hour hand makes a complete revolution, a lever pivotally mounted on the plate positioned to be engaged by the teeth of the small disc actuated by the bell-crank, a pawl carried by the lever positioned to engage the teeth on the periphery of the large disc to advance the large disc one step each time the small disc is actuated two steps, a latch holding the large disc in each advanced position, a cam pivotally mounted on the large disc and positioned to engage projections on the other small disc, said cam adapted to release the latch as it engages one of the projections on the small disc, resilient means returning the large disc to a starting position when the latch is released, and means actuated by a projection on the large disc in the return movement thereof for advancing the said other small 2,483,775 7 8 disc one step with each of said return move- REFERENCES CITED ments.

. The following references are of record in the 4. In a mechanical calendar as described in file of this patent:

claim 3, means manually adjusting each of said discs independently. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. A mechanical calendar as described in claim 3, wherein the cam is provided with a plurality 33 i a of steps and the projections on the small disc are 1846962 Grieg Feb 1932 positioned at different distances from the center 1996701 g 'ag 1935 to compensate for the different number of days ,0 in the months. FOREIGN PATENTS Pm KLARIS- Number Country Date 27,899 Germany July 9, 1884 

